A 105-year-old survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack has passed away.

Warren Upton, the oldest survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack in World War II, passed away on Wednesday at a hospital in Los Gatos, California. He was 105 years old. According to Kathleen Farley, the state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Upton had been battling pneumonia.

The news of Upton's passing was met with great sadness, as he was the last living survivor of the USS Utah. Pacific Historic Parks shared the announcement on Facebook, stating, "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Pearl Harbor Survivor Warren 'Red' Upton."

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Upton was serving as a radioman aboard the USS Utah battleship in Oahu. He was in the middle of shaving when a Japanese torpedo struck the ship, causing it to shake violently. As another torpedo hit, the vessel began to capsize.

At the age of 22, Upton swam to Ford Island and took cover in a trench to protect himself from the Japanese aircraft flying overhead. "Along the way, he helped another shipmate who couldn't swim," shared Pacific Historic Parks. After half an hour, he was eventually rescued by a truck.

Sadly, many of Upton's shipmates were unable to escape the sinking ship and 58 of them lost their lives that day. Despite the traumatic experience, Upton continued to serve as a radioman throughout the rest of World War II.

In 2020, when there were only three other surviving crew members from the USS Utah, Upton opened up about his experience during the attack. He shared that it didn't bother him to talk about that devastating day, but it saddened him to think about the friends and comrades he lost over the years.

After the war, Upton returned home, got married, and started a family. His wife, Gene, who had also served in the Navy as a nurse, passed away in 2018. According to Pacific Historic Parks, Upton lived a full life after the war.

Historian J Michael Wenger estimated that there were around 87,000 military members in Oahu on the day of the Pearl Harbor attack. Today, only 15 remain alive. Upton's passing marks the end of an era, but his bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

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